In the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, Long Term Evolution (LTE) has been standardized with an aim to achieve a higher data rate and lower latency (Non-Patent Document 1). Also, to improve LTE in terms of broadband and high-speed communications, successor systems to LTE (e.g., LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Future Radio Access (FRA), 4G, and 5G) are being considered.
With the decreasing costs of communication apparatuses, the development of technologies for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, where apparatuses connected to a network communicate with each other and automatically perform control processes without the intervention of humans, is being actively conducted. Particularly, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is in the process of standardizing technologies for optimization of Machine Type Communication (MTC) that is a cellular system for M2M communication (Non-Patent Document 2). In the standardization process, functions required for an MTC terminal used for MTC are also being considered. For example, an MTC terminal whose communication bandwidth is limited to reduce costs is being considered. As another example, because it is possible that MTC terminals are placed, for example, in a location deep inside of a building or in a basement where radio communication is difficult, an MTC terminal that can expand coverage is also being considered. Based on the two examples described above, terminals are categorized into the following four types:
1. A terminal whose communication bandwidth is not limited and that includes no coverage expansion function.
2. A terminal whose communication bandwidth is limited and that includes no coverage expansion function.
3. A terminal whose communication bandwidth is not limited and that includes a coverage expansion function.
4. A terminal whose communication bandwidth is limited and that includes a coverage expansion function.
MTC terminals (MTC UE (user equipment)) are expected to be used for a wide range of fields such as an electric meter, a gas meter, a vending machine, a vehicle, and other industrial machines.